History of Chelsea FC
History Introduction Chelsea Football Club has been good at celebrating special anniversaries. The year 2005 saw us reach the major milestone of 100 years-old. What better way was there to mark the centenary than by becoming champions of England for the second time in our existence? Our golden jubilee had been similarly honoured. The club won silverware in the 1960s, the 70s, the 90s and at the turn of the new millennium, but 1955 was the year we finished above all other teams in the League for the first time. It was also Chelsea's earliest major trophy. The first five decades had seen the club develop into an integral part of sporting life in England's capital city with famous players and a large, often full stadium. Chelsea were popular, but achievement fell a long way short of that now enjoyed by the current team, which began the second 100 years of Chelsea history as the best in the land and the biggest football story throughout the world. Even if trophy success proved elusive in the first 50 years, the club had been set up for the big time from the moment Henry Augustus Mears had a change of heart one Sunday morning in the autumn of 1904. Of all the decisions that have shaped the history of Chelsea FC, there can be none more crucial than the one this Edwardian businessman made that particular day. Gus Mears was an enthusiast for a sport that had taken northern Britain by storm but had yet to take off in the capital in quite the same way. London at the turn of the century failed to provide a single team to the Football League First Division. Mears had spotted the potential for a football club to play at an old athletics ground at Stamford Bridge, an open piece of land in west London. It was a ground he planned to massively redevelop. But unforeseen problems had followed, as did a lucrative offer for the land. Mears was on the verge of selling up and abandoning his sporting dream. Colleague Frederick Parker, an enthusiastic supporter of the football stadium project attempted to dissuade him but on the fateful Sunday morning, Parker was told he was wasting his time. As the two walked on, without warning Mears' dog bit Parker, drawing blood and causing great pain, but only an amused reaction from Parker. "You took that bite damn well," Mears announced before telling his accomplice he would now trust his judgement over others. "Meet me here at nine tomorrow and we'll get busy," he said. Stamford Bridge was alive once more. Not that Chelsea FC was in the original plan. The finest sports stadium in London seemed a little out of place on the edge of well-heeled and arty Chelsea but as history shows, Mears had chosen well. The proximity to the vibrant centre of town made it perfect as a new venue for football. Due to financial disagreement, nearby Fulham Football Club, already in existence declined an offer to abandon the less grand Craven Cottage and move in. So in contrast to the history of so many clubs, Mears decided to build a team for a stadium, rather than the other way round. On March 10th 1905, a meeting convened opposite the stadium in a pub now called The Butcher's Hook. One item on the agenda was a name for the new club. Stamford Bridge FC, Kensington FC and intriguingly, London FC were all rejected. Chelsea FC was what it was to be - and the story had begun. John Tait Robertson, a Scottish international was the first player/manager and a squad of respected players was signed, providing a league could be found to compete in. The Southern League was the natural choice for our location but they were unwelcoming to these upstarts. Undaunted, Chelsea simply set our sights higher and went straight for the northern-dominated Football League. On May 29th 1905, the Football League AGM dramatically elected us to the Second Division. Parker again proved persuasive as we became the first club ever to make the League without having kicked a ball. First Team Squad (Historical) Squads: 1905-1915 1915-1925 1925-1935 1935-1945 1945-1955 1955-1965 1965-1975 1975-1985 1985-1995 1995-2005 2005-2011 Managers (Historical) First Fifty Years: John Robertson - {C}1905 to 1906 David Calderhead - {C}1907 to 1933 T Leslie Knighton - {C}1933 to 1939 William Birrell - {C}1939 to 1952 Ted Drake - {C}1952 to 1961 Second Fifty Years: Tommy Docherty''' -''' {C}1962 to 1967 Dave Sexton - {C}1967 to 1974 Ron Suart - {C}1974 to 1975 Eddie McCreadie - {C}1975 to 1977 Ken Shellito - {C}1977 to 1978 Danny Blanchflower - {C}1978 to 1979 Geoff Hurst - 1979 to 1981 John Neal - {C}1981 to 1985 John Hollins - {C}1985 to 1988 Bobby Campbell - {C}1988 to 1991 Ian Porterfield - 1991 to 1993 David Webb - {C}1993 to 1993 Glenn Hoddle - 1993 to 1996 Ruud Gullit - 1996 to 1998 Gianluca Vialli - 1998 to 2000 Claudio Ranieri - 2000 to 2004 Last Decade: Jose Mourinho - 2004 - 2007 Avram Grant - 2007 - 2008 Luiz Felipe Scolari - 2008 - 2009 Guus Hiddink - 2009 Carlo Ancelotti - 2009 - 2011 Andre Villas-Boas - 2011-2012 Roberto Di Matteo - 2012 Rafael Benitez - 2012 - Present Jose Mourinho (Next??) Club History Founding of the Club Early Years Struggling Years A New Era (Modern Club) Stamford Bridge Accomplishments 4 League Titles 7 FA Cups 1 UEFA Champions League '''1 European Cup Winners Cup 1 UEFA Super Cup 4 League Cups 4 Community Shields Rivalries London Rivalries Manchester United {C}- Results from Historic Rivalries leeds united Fan History Category:Core articles